A filling in Successful Dan’s left-front pastern has knocked
Successful Dan out of the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap on
August 4, but Lopresti is hoping the injury will not be career-ending.

“I’ve been watching it, and it won’t go down, and
it’s a place where he had an injury in ’09 as a 3-year-old,”
Lopresti said. “He’s not lame or anything; he’s been on the
track every day. Even if it’s just a strain, we don’t want to take
a chance like that. It’s sad; it’s unfortunate. He’s been
plagued with nagging injuries all his life, and we haven’t seen the best
of him.”

Successful Dan underwent an ultrasound examination that came up clean,
said Lopresti, and he will receive further testing at Rood & Riddle.

“There is no tear,” Lopresti said. “Dr. Bramlage, we
sent everything to him. He knows that horse inside out and upside down.
He’s got all the records. He knows everything about that horse. If
there’s any chance to bring him back, he’ll tell me.

“I jogged [Successful Dan] on the track this morning, and he was
full of himself. With a horse of that caliber, you have to be careful. To win a
race like the Whitney, you have to be 100 percent. It’s a really sad day
for us.”